Minneapolis Connects June Newsletter

The City of Minneapolis Welcomes the Holy Month of Ramadan

Ramadan is a Muslim holy month that occurs on the ninth
month of the Islamic lunar calendar and lasts for 29 or 30 days. This year,
Ramadan begins Saturday May 27, 2017

During Ramadan, practicing Muslims spend the daylight hours
fasting. This means they abstain from any food and drink from dawn to sunset.
One of the key purposes of fasting is to experience how a hungry person feels
and to understand what it is like to have an empty stomach. It teaches one to
share the sufferings of the less fortunate. Fasting during Ramadan is
considered one of the five Pillars of Islam — five activities that shape
Muslims’ lives. Ramadan is also known as the month of forgiveness, charity and
generosity.

In Minneapolis during Ramadan, mosques and Islamic centers
see an increase in traffic and parking needs during late evening and early morning
hours. Muslim community leaders are proactively working with City officials to
create awareness and understanding about these needs and to ensure everyone’s
safety during Ramadan. Abdirashid Ahmed, the East African community specialist
in the City’s Neighborhood and Community Relations Department, reached out to
several mosques and leaders to prepare for the month of Ramadan. Ahmed is also
closely working with the Police and Public Works departments on traffic safety
during the month of Ramadan.

Neighbors close to mosques and Islamic centers can expect to
see heavy traffic during Ramadan beginning at sundown until about 1 a.m. Heavy
traffic will significantly increase during the last 10 days of Ramadan, from 9
p.m. to as late as 5 a.m. There will also be a significant change to the East
African community’s activities and day-to-day operations during daylight. Some
food businesses or coffee shops may close or operate fewer hours.

Minneapolis has approved a resolution declaring June
2017 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month in Minneapolis. The
declaration coincides with the LGBT Pride celebration, which is held annually
in June and is the largest outdoor festival in the city. The City encourages
residents and visitors to participate in the numerous activities celebrating
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month in the city and in the
ongoing work of leading Minnesota toward full LGBT equality.

The 35W Bridge will be lit in red, orange, yellow,
green, blue and purple June 23 and June 24.

The City of Minneapolis has a long history of
supporting LGBT rights. The resolution notes that this year the City Council
approved the creation of the Transgender Equity Council, which was intended to
serve as an advisory board to the City and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation
Board on matters of importance to the transgender community.

In 2014, Minneapolis was part of a partnership with
the Minneapolis School District and numerous organizations that successfully
advocated at the State Capitol for passage of the Safe and Supportive Minnesota
Schools Act, which focuses on bullying prevention in Minnesota schools.

Minneapolis was a vocal proponent of the marriage
equality statute passed in 2013 by the Minnesota Legislature and signed by the
governor. It was also the first city in the state to create a domestic partner
registry back in 1991.

Minneapolis was also the first city in Minnesota to
prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender
identity/expression, a position subsequently adopted by numerous Minnesota
cities and the State itself.

All-gender restrooms are added to City buildings.

All-gender restrooms, facilities anyone can use as an additional option, are now being added to City buildings. They’re part of the City’s efforts to further transgender equity by making sure City policies and services are inclusive of transgender community and staff.

All-gender restrooms are an additional facility option for anyone, including:

People who are uncomfortable in men’s or women’s rooms for a number of reasons.

Parents or caregivers of children who are a different gender from them.

People with caregivers or personal attendants who are a different gender from them.

Over the next few weeks, all-gender restrooms will be added in 44 City facilities, including department offices, fire stations, police precincts, Public Works facilities and City-owned parking ramps. This work involves re-signing and, in some cases, adding security locks to doors to 62 restrooms.

The all-gender restrooms are in addition to the traditional restrooms. Men’s and women’s restrooms will continue to exist in every City facility. Staff and the public will be able to use the restroom corresponding to their gender identities.

City staff are already planning for the next phases of this effort, which will involve making locker room and shower facilities inclusive. Also, as buildings are constructed and remodeled for City use, staff will explore accommodating multi-stall, all-gender restrooms and changing rooms.

The Neighborhood and Community
Engagement Commission (NCEC) and the Neighborhood and Community Relations
Department (NCR) partnered with neighborhood groups across the city in hosting
a series of five meetings to discuss the future role of neighborhood organizations.
The five meetings were held between April 25 and May 8, 2017 in each sector of
the City: Downtown, North, East, South and Southwest. A total of 517
people signed in at the five meetings, and 262 filled out demographic
cards.

Based on the review of demographic
data, NCR set up two additional events to gain further input from
under-represented groups. The first was held at Harrison Community Center on
May 23rd with 36 Hmong and Lao community members and the second was held at
Waite House on May 30th with 30 members of the Latino and American Indian
communities.

NCR is currently compiling data from
all the meetings and will meet with the NCEC 2020
Committee on Tuesday June 13th 5:30pm for a preliminary
discussion of the data and on Monday June 19th at 6:00pm for a more
streamlined look at results of the outreach. Both meetings will take place
downtown at the Crown Roller Mill Building – 105 5th Avenue South.

NCR has also developed an online survey for
additional input from individuals who were not able to attend the meetings.
Please share with your network!

Upper Harbor Terminal Project Seeks Input

In anticipation of the
execution of the three-party exclusive rights agreement, the City of
Minneapolis, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) and master
development team (United Properties, THOR Development and First Avenue
Productions) have announced a series of public meetings at which community
members will be able to provide input to inform the plan for the UHT site.

In order to maximize input
opportunities, there will be two parallel meetings per month, held on two
different days of the week at different locations and with different formats.
The two meetings will cover the same basic topic and seek similar input each month.
One meeting will be combined with the monthly meeting of the Above the Falls
Community Advisory Committee (AFCAC). These will be held in the evening
(starting at 7:00 pm) on the last Thursday of the month at the MPRB
headquarters and will be a meeting format. The second meeting will be held on
the last Thursday of the month (except for the first meeting) somewhat earlier
in the evening (starting at 5:00 pm) at either Cityview School or Folwell
Park. These second meetings generally will be an open house format in which
attendees can attend any time between 5:00 and 7:30 pm. All of the events will
be family-friendly, and refreshments will be offered.

The meeting pattern is as
follows:

AFCAC Meetings

7:00 pm; typically last Tuesday of
the month; snacks served

All at MPRB headquarters, 2117 W.
River Road N.

Tuesday, May 30

Tuesday, June 27

Tuesday, July 25

Tuesday, August 29

Tuesday,
September 26

Open House Meetings

5:00 – 7:30 pm; typically
Thursdays; refreshments served

Thursday, June 8 (Cityview School,
3350 N. 4th St.)

Thursday, June 29 (Cityview
School, 3350 N. 4th St.)

Thursday, July 27 (Folwell Park,
1615 N. Dowling St.)

Thursday, August 31 (Folwell Park,
1615 N. Dowling St.)

Thursday, September 28 (Folwell Park, 1615 N. Dowling St.)

If you haven’t already done so,
please sign
up for GovDelivery email updates on the UHT web site or watch for social
media notices on Facebook, Twitter and NextDoor, as meetings may need to be
adjusted. Information on the webpage
and meeting notices also will provide more details about specific meetings and
topics.

State of the City: “One Minneapolis and the Call of Transformation”

The vision of a transformed city — One Minneapolis —
was a major theme throughout Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges’ State of the City
address May 23.

In the speech, the mayor outlined her proposed path
to a stronger, more connected Minneapolis. She offered several examples of the
city overcoming discomfort to get results: the Nicollet Mall renovation, the
earned sick and safe time policy, gains in affordable housing and new
approaches to public safety.

Residents
were encouraged to celebrate the progress the city has made while staying
focused on a vision for the future including sustainability, 21st
century policing and workforce development.

Miss the State of the City address? Watch a rebroadcast or read the full text of Mayor
Hodges’ 2017 State of the City address.

Play in the street at an Open Streets event this summer

Seven Open Streets Minneapolis events this year will
be a chance for people to explore their neighborhoods and local businesses in a
car-free environment. Open Streets gives people an opportunity to enjoy the
streets on bicycle, foot, wheelchair, skateboard or roller skates and will be
packed with activities for people of all ages, including free yoga, bicycle
repair, live music and children’s activities.

2017 Open Streets events 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Open Streets Lyndale: Sunday, June 4

Open Streets Downtown: Sunday, June 11

Open Streets Lake and Minnehaha: Sunday, July 23

Open Streets Northeast: Sunday, Aug. 6

Open Streets Franklin: Sunday, Aug. 27

Open Streets West Broadway: Saturday, Sept. 9

Open Streets Nicollet: Sunday, Sept. 24

The free event helps promote walking, bicycling and
mass transit for the well-being of people and our environment. It also helps
promote good public health by encouraging active, healthy lifestyles.

Since 2011 when the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition
hosted the first Open Streets event on a 2-mile stretch of Lyndale Avenue
South, the initiative has grown considerably, drawing 81,000 people to eight
events in 2016.

Open Streets Minneapolis is hosted by the City of
Minneapolis and is organized by Our Streets Minneapolis, formerly the
Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition. For more information on this year’s events,
visit www.openstreetsmpls.com.

New strategy to prevent violent crime begins in Minneapolis

A new collaborative strategy to reduce homicides and
shootings in the city has begun in Minneapolis. The Group Violence Intervention
(GVI) brings law enforcement, social services and the community together.

A key component of GVI is a meeting known as a “call-in.”
There, at-risk young adults identified by police as being both crime victims
and offenders are brought in to hear from government leaders, social service
groups and people from the community that the violence needs to stop. They are
also told that help is available to any of them who sincerely ask for it.

In addition to the offer of assistance, law
enforcement makes it clear that there will be enhanced police attention on the
next group whose member commits a homicide in Minneapolis as well as the most
violent group in the city.

Law enforcement and community partners will
coordinate outreach to at-risk young people. Services offered could include
housing, health care and help clearing outstanding warrants as well as more
long-term considerations like job readiness and employment connections. In
addition, personal harm reduction planning and 24-hour crisis services will be
available.

GVI includes a broad-based partnership that includes
the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, Hennepin County Community Corrections, the
Office of Mayor Betsy Hodges, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minneapolis
Health Department and various community organizations.

National data shows that a small number of
individuals drive a significant percentage of the violence in major cities. These
individuals are often affiliated with groups. An analysis of crime data shows
that Minneapolis follows that same pattern.

GVI is a data-driven approach and a Department of
Justice model program. It has been applied in cities throughout the country
with proven results, and many communities using the strategy have seen dramatic
reductions in homicides and nonfatal shootings. A Yale study found that Project
Longevity, New Haven’s implementation of GVI, contributed to a reduction of
five group-involved shootings per month during the first three years of
implementation.

Mark your calendar to get rid of your household hazardous wastes at these summer events

You can drop off your household hazardous wastes for free at any of these Hennepin County events in Minneapolis from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday-Saturday.

June 23-24, Public Works facility, 3607 E. 44th St. (Enter off 44th Street between Hwy 55 and Snelling Avenue.)

Three free lead testing events scheduled this month, more throughout summer

Children and pregnant or nursing women can have
their blood tested for lead at free events this summer. Families can also learn
more at the events about the City of Minneapolis grant program that will test
homes for lead poisoning hazards and fix them – such as replacing windows that
have lead in them for free.

In 2016, 158 children in Minneapolis had lead
poisoning. Lead poisoning is a hazard because children with high levels of lead
in their bodies can suffer from damage to their brains and nervous systems.
Lead poisoning can slow a child’s growth, damage hearing, cause aggressive
behavior problems, reduce IQ and make it harder to concentrate or do well in
school. Lead in pregnant women can be transferred to the fetus, and lead in a
nursing mother can transfer to the child. Lead can also cause miscarriages and
reproductive problems in adults.

Parents and other caregivers need to know how to
protect children from lead exposure. Lead-based paint in homes built before
1978 remains the primary source of lead poisoning for children. In Minnesota,
there are an estimated 1 million homes with lead paint. But other sources exist
as well: lead in toys, chalk, plumbing and even some foods. Other ways children
could come in contact with lead include remodeling being done in the home,
someone in the household who works with lead (paint removal, remodeling,
electronics, ceramics, automotive repair), and playing outside in soil or sand
that may be contaminated. Contaminated soil is more likely near busy roads,
highways or within two feet of a house or garage that was painted with lead
paint. Nutrition is also important. Children who get enough iron, vitamin C and
calcium are less likely to absorb lead.

Learn how to identify lead paint and protect your
family from the potential dangers of lead poisoning by watching this short
video from the City of Minneapolis. It runs in English, Spanish, Somali and
Hmong.

Lead paint safety
Paint on older homes may contain lead. Learn how to identify lead paint and
protect your family from potential dangers of lead poisoning in this video from
the City of Minneapolis.

City changing crosswalk markings, zebra-striped crosswalks will help enhance safety

Crosswalk markings are changing throughout
Minneapolis this year. City crews are replacing the parallel-line crosswalk
markings with zebra-stripe crosswalk markings. Approximately 3,000 marked
crosswalks will be repainted. Durable material will be used instead of paint at
120 intersections.

The switch began last year, with crews remarking the
crosswalks as part of street and traffic signal construction projects. This
year, marked crosswalks outside of construction zones will be switched to
zebra-striped markings. By the end of the year, nearly all existing marked
crosswalks on City and County streets in Minneapolis will have zebra stripes.

Zebra-striped crosswalks are easier to see than the
parallel line crosswalks. Making the switch will help enhance pedestrian safety
and make people more comfortable using crosswalks.

The City will work with the Minneapolis Park &
Recreation Board to evaluate marked parkway crosswalks for future zebra style
crosswalk installation, with some segments of the parkway system receiving
zebra crosswalks next year. Marked crosswalks within the trunk highway system
are maintained by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and are unaffected
by this change.

Drivers and pedestrians should remember that under
Minnesota law, drivers must stop for crossing pedestrians at all intersections
– with or without marked crosswalks.

The Commons 2017 summer season kicks off now

You’ve got another great reason to get outside and
enjoy summer in Minneapolis. Green Minneapolis has announced a lineup of events
happening at The Commons throughout the season. Starting now, folks can grab
colorful umbrellas, choose from an assortment of games or pick up a book – for
free.

Daily amenities include an Imagination Playground, a
large building block set for children, umbrellas for shade, table tennis,
reading and games carts.

Free recurring programs include children’s story
time with local authors, musical performances with MacPhail Center for Music,
fitness classes with Fly Feet Running and a weekly evening Mill City Farmers
Market.

Under a new ordinance, visitors to The Commons can
bring and consume alcoholic beverages during designated events. The first
designated event will be a film screening June 29, one of four movie nights
scheduled throughout the summer.

The Commons will also host events produced by
others, including the X Games, which comes to U.S. Bank Stadium and The Commons
in mid-July, and Vikings home game activations.

The Commons is a 4.2 acre, public green space
downtown bounded by Park Avenue and Fourth and Fifth streets. The Commons was
designed as a place for respite, everyday activities, and events large and
small for residents, workers and visitors. Green Minneapolis is under contract
with the City of Minneapolis to operate, maintain and program The Commons.

Music and Movies in the Parks offers free summer entertainment in your area

Summer is fast approaching, and that means it’s time
for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s Music and
Movies in the Parks. More than 250 free outdoor concerts and movies
will be hosted in parks across the city.

Music in the Parks

Since 1892, local Minneapolis artists and bands have
put on a show every day in the summer for their residents and neighbors. Genres
include swing, folk, rock, bluegrass, classical and much more. The 2017 season
fills the air daily with music at six outstanding concert venues running from
Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Lake Harriet Band Shell: Weekdays
and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 and 5:30 p.m.

Nicollet Island Park:
Mondays at 7 p.m.

Father Hennepin Bluffs Park: Tuesdays
at 7 p.m.

Minnehaha Park:
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m.

Bryant Square Park:
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.

Loring Park: Wednesdays
at 11:30 a.m.

Movies in the Parks

Movies in the Parks will travel to more than 45
neighborhood parks throughout the summer. The season runs from Monday, June 5,
to Saturday, Aug. 26. All showings begin 15 minutes after sunset.

Concerts and movies are free, and everyone is
welcome. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, food and bug spray. For the most up-to-date
schedules and weather-related information, visit www.mplsmusicandmovies.com. You can
also keep track of Music and Movies in the Park on Twitter and Facebook.

About this newsletterMinneapolis Connects is published by the City of Minneapolis Neighborhood and Community Relations Department. If you have questions, please contact ncr@minneapolismn.gov.

For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact NCR at (612) 673-3737 or ncr@minneapolismn.gov. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 agents at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.